Texas Senate Bill SB747

Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

• Out of Senate Committee: 3/26/09
• Voted on by Senate: 4/2/09
• Out of House Committee: 5/8/09

Caption

Relating to notice of a hospital lien.

Impact

The legislation is designed to strengthen the rights of injured individuals by ensuring they receive adequate notice of hospital charges that might affect their financial obligations following an incident. This measure promotes transparency in financial transactions related to medical services provided post-injury. Furthermore, it can potentially alleviate disputes arising from unclear billing practices by creating a defined communication protocol between healthcare providers and patients.

Summary

SB747 focuses on enhancing the notification process for hospital liens. It amends Section 55.005 of the Texas Property Code, mandating that hospitals or emergency medical service providers provide comprehensive written notice to injured individuals before they can file a lien. This ensures that individuals are informed of any unpaid medical charges that may lead to a lien, allowing them an opportunity to settle these charges prior to the lien being filed with the county clerk's office.

Contention

There might be concerns among healthcare providers about the implications of these stricter notice requirements, particularly regarding any delays in filing liens that could arise from the additional administrative burden. Stakeholders might debate whether these changes effectively protect consumers or if they could limit providers' ability to secure timely payment for essential medical services rendered in emergency situations. Potential pushback could stem from the desire for swift recovery of costs versus the legislative intent to protect consumer rights.